Is the military top brass gagging Garcia? Because of corruption issues, GMA
satisfaction ratings dipped from 26% to 18% - Rep. Beltran

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that the top brass of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were most likely in a fluster over how to
cover up the massive controversy that erupted over the allegations of corruption
in the AFP as seen in the case of unexplained wealth of former comptroller Maj.
Gen. Carlos Garcia. He said that keeping Garcia from the attending the
Congressional investigations was one of the moves of the AFP top brass to
control the damage the expose has made. "As we speak, Garcia is being briefed
in the top offices of the AFP," he said.
"If he is able to make his explanations to the media via interviews, then
Garcia can most certainly make his statements and explanations under oath."

Beltran lauded the various members of the AFP who were coming out to speak
against the rampant and deep-seated corruption in the institution. He said,
however, that these concerned AFP members should not resort to staging coup de
etats, but instead address their plea directly to the Filipino people. He said
that they should not be afraid to name names and expose the criminals in
uniform and their cohorts in the civilian bureaucracy.

"There are already various charges of corruption against many ranking officials
in the AFP, but none of them have really come to fruition because of the
numerous tactics and strategies being used by the AFP leadership in collusion
with the other high ranking officials in the other branches of government," he
said. "So far, it's only the media who is acting as a watchdog against
corruption by reporting the exposes made by concerned individuals and people's
organizations."

Beltran said that the national government is hardly even flexing its muscles in
the fight against corruption, seeing as it has not even made any decisive
action against the president and general manager of the Government Service
Insurance System (GSIS) Winston Garcia. He also said that Malacanang has not
comprehensively cleaned out its cabinet and has only recycled its officials,
many of them with pending cases filed against them at the Office of the
Ombudsman.

"How then can Pres. Arroyo's so-called battle against corruption become credible
when she refuses to rid her own cabinet of officials who are tainted with
corruption?" he said.

The veteran labor leader cited the results of a survey conducted by the Center
for Issues and Advocacy (CIA) and the Data Advisors Inc., and Proberz
Consultancy that the president's satisfaction ratings during her first 100 days
in office have dipped by 18 percent because of the various corruption issues
that have erupted in the last weeks.

The CIA study was conducted from September 22 to October 5, covering 2,400
respondents nationwide. It stated that from the 26 percent positive ratings
the presidency has gotten during the second quarter(reported by the Social
Weather Station), the ratings have gone down to 18%. Eighty percent
respondents agreed that there is graft and corruption in government, while only
18% said that was none. Seventy -nine percent of the respondents also said
that there is widespread graft and corruption in national government agencies.

The survey results also showed that a huge majority or 73 percent think that the
economy has worsened under the Macapagal-Arroyo government. #